A Ghost Tail
by Silver Lady7
Summary: After a hard working day all Jack wants is to rest. What happens if instead he takes a walk in the graveyard and finds a playful ghost-dog?


nA Ghost Tail n  
  
Notes: All characters, including Willa and Zelda (the same witches of the movie)are creations of Tim Burton. This is my take of how Jack got his dearest pet. Hope you enjoy it.  
  
Part One  
  
i Working nine to five  
  
what a way to make living  
  
Barely getting by  
  
it's all taking and no giving.  
  
They just use your mind  
  
and they never give you credit  
  
It's enough to drive you crazy  
  
if you let it. i  
  
(9 to 5, Dolly Parton)  
  
  
  
"Hey, Jack! Do you like this? I made it myself! Jack, what should I use for this potion, lizard's sweat or snail's beard? Jack, how can I become scarier? Jack, will you please come and check on these plans? Jack? Jack! Jaaack!"  
  
  
  
Jack Skellington closed his eye sockets tight and held the sides of his throbbing head. His name was the most pronounced word in town since the pumpkin sun of his world had rised up that morning. The sun had died half an hour ago, but everybody kept hurrying and fussing around him like next Halloween was tomorrow instead 364_err, 363 days away. And no one seemed able to think by itself: they expected the Pumpkin King to decide everything. He was getting positively stunned.  
  
"Jack? Jack? Are you hearing me?"someone tugged at the tails of his jacket.  
  
"And this is the worst of them" Jack thought, as he resignedly spun around. The Mayor looked impatient from behind the tottering pile of paperworks he was holding and that almost reached the top of his long tall hat. At Jack's frazzled aspect, his frown was replaced by a slightly concerned look:  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah. Just a little tired..."  
  
"Oh, good."the Mayor spun his head for a grin" Look, we must check on this stuff. There are many points..."  
  
"Let's check on them tomorrow."Jack moaned"I need a break."  
  
"Now?" shocked, the politician showed again his distressed face:"But Jack, we didn't even start..."he opened his arms in a dramatic gesture and eventually the pile of papers slipped to the ground and mouldered gracefully at their feet.  
  
"Drat!" the Mayor murmured. He leaned over the papers the best as his conic body allowed him, but lost his ballance and dived nose on the mess. This time he didn't bother to low his voice:  
  
"Mm, what a @#^#$@^&***!!"  
  
Helped by Jack, he got up and made a new try to bent, but only Jack's fast hand on his nose prevented him from collapsing again. Calmly, the skeleton shoved him back to vertical position:  
  
"Better you leave it to me"Jack crouched and swept-handed the papers forming a clamp between his open legs"...And better warn everyone that we'll continue tomorrow. Some, if I know them well, might keep working until after midnight, if you won't tell them to stop."he added in quizzically.  
  
"Uh, yes, but maybe..." the workaholical Mayor hesitated, probably thinking that to work until after midnight wasn't a bad idea at all. Jack made a halt and scowled.  
  
"Last night we had a horrifying, splendid, fully-succeeded Halloween, in fact the worst Halloween we ever had"his tone was of strained patience"Those were your exact words. We're plenty of time until the next, so I think that some rest would be just fair."   
  
Wisely, the Mayor didn't insist. Jack was the greatest Pumpkin King that Halloweentown ever had, a perfect gentleman and his best friend(in fact the only one the Mayor had), but he was also very stubborn. So the stout little man just mumbled an "okay, okay" and clunsily loped off to his car.  
  
Jack shook his head and went back to his task. Tucking the papers under an arm, he started to catch a few sheet that had flied a little farther. Just that moment, the annoyed voice of the Mayor was heard as he started driving his hearse down the street:  
  
"Now listen everybody. Enough for today. Let's continue tomorrow. Repeating: enough for today. Let's continue tomorrow..."  
  
  
  
As the warning echoed around and faded within the distance, people looked up, like disbelieving time had flied away so fast. Some blurted relieved sighs. Suddenly, the street looked alike an anthill, with people hurrying to turn in their tools and go home for a blessed deserved rest. With all the hustle and bustle, the stray papers flyed away again and off Jack's reach. Luckily, he manage to retrieve one that got stuck on a barb-wired fence and another was caught by the Red Devil's horn, but the third one fell to the floor and was stepped by a distracted, muddy foot before the skeleton could shout "Nooo!"  
  
"Hope this is not really important" Jack stared gloomily at the dirty, now unreadable paper. Fast, he went after the last stray sheet before something else happened. Looking around, he spot it on the floor, a few steps off. Jack crouched, streched out his hand... and just that moment a heavy, large foot stepped over both hand and paper with a sinister crunching sound.  
  
"WHOOOAAAHHH!!" Jack howled, as the embarassed Behemoth quickly took his foot off the King's hand "Sorry."he said in his usual dull tone.   
  
"It's alright" Jack moaned through clenched teeth, as he exhamined his hand to make sure it hadn't been broken. The Behemoth was like a small child and hadn't stepped on his hand by purpose, so what else he could say? At least, the gentle ghoul aphologetically volunteered to carry for him the paperworks to the Town Meeting Hall, so Jack was finally free to go home.  
  
He was crossing the stree when something cold and slimy clung to his arm. It was the Melting Man, with an (apparently) important doubt that couldn't wait until tomorrow. Jack took a good couple of minutes not only as to explain him the darn thing as well to get loose from Meltie's sticky hands. Finally, he got free and turned to go... just to see the witches advancing on his direction:  
  
"Jack, we were thinking..." started Willa (the gray, elder witch).  
  
"...If you wouldn't like to dine with us tonight" finished Zelda(the green, little one).   
  
Jack grinned weakly: "Thanks, but I can't..." without expecting respost, he turned around and run into a group of ghouls who seemed to have chosen that exact hour to ask him everything they hadn't the entire day. Between a question and another, the two hags hopped upon the ghouls' shoulders, just like their invitation hadn't been refused:  
  
"Now that you're free you can help me...Jack, what about the dinner?...Please, Jack, just one last question...You'll dine with us, won't you?...Jack, what I'm going to do with..."  
  
Jack closed his eyes and covered his ear sockets again. Enough with that! He took a big breath and glowered at all that disconsiderated crowd, preparing himself to let out a big screech that would scare them all away. Didn't want to, but... Just that moment, the sound of a honk announced the return of the Mayor's car, and the crowd automatically opened way for the vehicle. Jack took the advantage and slipped toward a nearby alley. Out of sight, he rested his bones against the filthy brick wall and wiped his forehead. Peace at las...  
  
"G'night, Jack" rumbled a voice that sounded like produced by a rusty honk.   
  
He whirled around with a jump and saw the Undersea Girl smiling at him from a trash can, with its lid dangling over her flippy head as a hat. Quickly, Jack covered her mouth with a hand, then put a finger on his own lips to ask for silence. Then, he let go of her and gingerly peeked back at the main street. Not seeing Jack anymore, the questioners had shrugged and scattered away, but the witches were more persistent. They were still walking and glancing around, calling for him. Luckily it hadn't ocurried any of the two to peek into the alley.   
  
"Slipping away, huh?" Sea Girl whispered malicious. She took her tin hat off and slid out of the can. Jack frowned at her:   
  
" No, no, not at all. It's just I am...I...well...you know how it is" he waved toward the street"They..."  
  
"...They just don't see that when you're done, you're done." the mermaid stated wrily.   
  
"I couldn't say it better"Jack sighed. Sea Girl leered at him. Very slowly, she slid closer to him and rested a flippy hand on his wrist:  
  
"They should be more considerated with the Pumpkin King. To let him do something more relaxing..."   
  
Jack blushed and reared back, but she slid onto him again:  
  
"A nice walk by the swampy lake, for example, it would be perfect. The moonlight reflex on the muddy water, the sweet smell of rottenness, the chorus of owls and frogs...it's so romantic, Jack, and I could show you...some real fun. "  
  
Withough noticing they both were now out of the alley, Jack kept backing away: "Well, I...err...its very nice of yours, but..."he stuttered"I-I mean...ouh!"someone rudely yanked him by one arm.   
  
"What our dear little Jack means" Willa snapped(both the witches had fiercely seized Jack's arm)" is that he's tired, hungry and longing for a fine warm meal, and that he hasn't any will of strolling in your smelly, rot swamp_specially with bad companies."   
  
"Yes! He'll join us to dinner."Zelda stated. Jack opened his mouth to protest, but before he could do it the Undersea Girl pulled him by his free arm:  
  
"Join you to dinner? The worst cookers in town? You're crazy! Wanna make him sick?"  
  
Since Jack's fans were all rather short, the poor skeleton found himself almost crouched, rocking back and forth with both arms about to be ripped off at any moment.   
  
"If you please...ouh!" he was interrupted by a new pulling from Willa:  
  
"So, don't you like our food? "she snorted at Sea Girl" Perhaps you could like to help us to prepare the main plate...roast fish!"  
  
In respost, Sea Girl stuck out her tongue and pulled Jack's other arm defiantly_and painfully. The witch drew her wander...but she never got to use it. For that same instant they were interrupted by an enraged, inhuman roar that hopped the Mayor's hat off and shook the window panes of the nearby houses:  
  
"WILL YOU LET ME GOOOOOOO?????"  
  
In shock, the three women released him at the same time and jumped back. Jack stretched, rubbed one arm, then other, dusted his jacket and took a deep breath:  
  
"That's better."he growled. More calm, he turned at his fans "Look, girls, I feel really, really flattered, but I can't dine nor stroll in the swamp with any of you. You see, it wouldn't be f..."  
  
He was about to explain it wouldn't be fair to accept one's invitation and the others' not, but was interrupted by noisy, mournful snifflings from the three women. They looked very broken-hearted, with trembling lips (since Sea Girl's were rather thick she looked almost comic), and Zelda even brushed her small piggy eyes.  
  
That was almost worse than the pulling-arm stuff, Jack thought. His voice wasn't now so firm:  
  
"Oh, c'mon, don't look at me like this..." That just turned the snifflings in whimperings. Zelda and Willa hugged each other and begun to sob. Jack run a pointed fingertip under his collar:"Try to understand. I really...can't. It...It's just I...I..." he glanced around in despair and saw the Mayor fixing his hat"...I already invited the Mayor to dine in my house, so we'll plan next Halloween more calmly"   
  
"Huh?" the Mayor gasped in astonishment. Jack gave him a look, and he fast spun his face around:"Oh, yes. That's right. We have a lot to talk!"he started counting on his fingers, enthusiasted:"You see, we have to choose the patterns for the grimaces that'll be carved on the new pumpkins." Sea Girl and the witches exchanged a look, as the Mayor counted on his fingers:" We must also discuss about the quantity of spiders and bats we'll have next Halloween...it wasn't satisfatory last night. And there's..."  
  
He didn't finish it. The women had vanished away like magic.   
  
"Well, I never!" offended, the Mayor leaned his hands on an inexistent waist. Suppressing a grin, Jack came towards him "Thank you very much, Mayor.I'm very sorry for pulling you into the middle, but it was an emergency."   
  
The Mayor spun his head back to the jovial side:  
  
"You're welcome. Why, I was getting afraid they'd split you up in two! I wouldn't like to be in your shoes!"he laughed.  
  
"Indeed. You'd get a little uncomfortable"Jack retorted with a quizzical grin, with a look at the Mayor's feet, little still not tinier than his own's. Jack had probably the tiniest feet in town. The Mayor, however, gave him a puzzled look, and Jack dismissed the joke with a wave of hand.   
  
By common accord they decided walking to Jack's house. Jack never felt comfortable in the Mayor's car because of his long lengs, and the fat politician thought some exercise would do good for him. The Pumpkin King followed him in silence, barely paying attention on the Mayor's animated chattering. Although he was grateful for the Mayor rescuing him from his aspirants to queen, he wasn't absolutely in the mood to dine with anyone. Oblivious to Jack's dismay, the Mayor kept talking about the same old things they had discussed thousand times before: the last Halloweens, the preparatives for the next one, the production of pumpkins, the troubles caused by the Oogie Boogie's little henchmen. The only thing new was the Dr. Finklestein's recent creation, Igor, his new assistant. Although the result hadn't been the expected, the Doctor was optimist and planned someday to build another creature by the same methode, a female this time. Both Jack and Mayor shuddered at the idea.  
  
"Goog luck for him" the politician shook the hideous vision off his mind with a spin of head: "And you, Jack? Still reading that Sheik, err...Shaken Spear of yours?"  
  
A grin spreaded accross Jack's face.   
  
"Shakespeare? No, I'm reading the Tales of Allan Poe now. My, they're simply brilliant! Impressive! The Black Cat, for example..."   
  
The Mayor's face switched to a expression of almost panick. He had asked about Jack's books only in order to change the subject. The only thing he really liked to read was bureaucratic stuff. Actually, no else in town but Jack liked reading, one of his pecularities the Halloweeners didn't get at all. Jack, by other hand, seemed to have forgotten completly his previous bad mood. With large dramatic motions, he kept raving enthusiasted about the story of the drunk, his unlucky wife and his avenging cat, quite oblivious to the Mayor's discomfort. The poor politician mumbled yes, interesting, at the same time he held the sides of his conic head, trying in vain to make it spin to its glad face.   
  
The Black Cat had just been walled by the drunk when the silhouette of the Pumpkin King's mansion finally come to sight. The Mayor's relief was so much that his head spun around by itself:  
  
"Well, here you are, safe and sound. I must leave you now."  
  
"But, and the dinner?"Jack asked surprised and with badly suppressed relief.  
  
"Actually, I'm under a very stern regime. Prescribed by the Doctor Finkelstein." the Mayor fidgeted nervously "I...I just accepted to escort you in order to rid you from the...err, ladies. I didn't want you to loose an arm."he gave a humourless laugh. Jack eyed him wrily, suspecting the cause of that change. He always forgot how people felt about his taste for litherature. Usually that bothered him, but now it could quite useful.  
  
"Are you sure you won't come in for some minutes? I could borrow you one of my books..."Jack smiled with pure innocence.  
  
The Mayor almost jumped: "No, no, thanks. I already bothered you enough. You must rest for tomorrow_you'll need it, for sure. Good nightmares!" with that, he went away almost running.  
  
A silence fell over the street, broken only by the achords of a gloomy waltz played by the band from the opposite sidewalk. Jack let out a very reliefed sigh. Free at last. What a day. And tomorrow would be just the same...ah, better not thinking on that. He turned around and begun to open the gate.  
  
"Good evening, Jack."said a low voice.  
  
He spun his head with a start. A grayish, thin man with a clown-like face came down the street. Jack grinned with relief.   
  
"Why, hello, Mr. Corpse. Going home, too?"  
  
"Yeah. My wife and son are waiting for me to dinner."  
  
"Must be good having someone waiting home for you with a ready, warm meal." Jack sighed, thinking that his own dinner would be composed by the leftovers of Halloween feast in his fridge. Mr. Corpse, however, thought that Jack didn't refer to the food.  
  
"It is."he nodded thoughtfully" I wouldn't know how to go back for a cold, empty place every night. I think I couldn't even call this hom..." he caught off himself and looked embarassed: "Oh, sorry, Jack. I didn't mean y..."  
  
"That's okay, I you wouldn't." Jack reassured him with a fake smile"Give my kindest regards to your family!"  
  
Mr. Corpse waved and disappeared in the dark. Jack sighed again, sorrowly this time. He spun around and stared at the dark façade of his house through the half-opened gate. Minutes ago, he wanted nothing but a hot, relaxing bath, a fast meal and bed. Now a sort of magic seemed to have turned his cherished home into a sort of cold, stern, gloomy face glaring at him from the top of the staircase.  
  
Warily, Jack glanced around. No one at sight, he silently shut the gate behind himself and stealthily slipped to the graveyard. The band players saw him, of course, but they were discreet and quite used to see Jack run off that way.  
  
"There he goes again." the sax player whispered. His companions shrugged.  
  
  
  
To continue   
  
Note: Don't worry, Zero will come next chapter.:) Before you ask me, the events related here happen a few years before the movie, that's why Oogie Boogie is still alive and Sally doesn't exist. This first part was supposed to be very short, but I wanted to give one exact idea of Jack's stress and loneliness without a soul to truly care about him.   
  
Obs: I had post this fic here before, but wiped it away in order to correct grammatic, and improve some situations. Hope now it's clear. English is not my native language, so if you'll find something wrong, please let me know. 


End file.
